The Mars Exploration Rovers Unveil New Horizons for Astrobiology

The Mars Exploration Rover mission (MER) investigates how waterhas shaped the crustal composition, environmental history, and potentialhabitability of Mars. The Gusev Crater and Terra Meridiani landing siteswere chosen because they offer hints that water has shaped their landscapesand mineralogy. As robotic field geologists, the MER rovers will explore theroles played by key agents such as water, volcanism, impacts, sunlight andatmospheric dynamics. For example, water might have helped to form crustsobserved in the Gusev Crater regolith. The composition and fabrics ofbedrock at Terra Meridiani potentially reflect aqueous processes. However,wind and volcanism have conspired to obscure any effects of water. Still,by methodically exploring rocks and sediments, the MER rovers might be ableto determine whether the martian environment ever had the potential tosustain life.

NAI Director's Seminar Series

The Director’s Seminar series features talks from scientists who are invited by the NAI Director to present their research results to the community. A primary goal of the seminars is to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration across NAI teams and within the astrobiology community at large.